The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has teamed up with STX Group, seizing an opportunity to boost their sustainability efforts and financial health by hopping on to the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard Program. As reported by MBTA, this partnership emerges as part of a broader push by the Healey-Driscoll Administration to support operation needs while embracing environmental initiatives.
"The MBTA is proud to participate in the Renewable Fuel Standard Program," MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng stated in this recent announcement. Despite the governmental backing, and possibly because of it, the MBTA's pursuit of this program is both practical and environmentally shrewd. By meeting the rigorous standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Agriculture (DOA), and Department of Energy (DOE), the MBTA stands to gain $4 million over the contract's duration.
At the heart of this initiative, MBTA's fleet of 175 buses will blend their current Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) usage with Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), allowing these vehicles to qualify as utilizing Cellulosic Biofuel. This move enables participation in the program, which mandates increased volumes of renewable fuel within transportation, thereby diminishing reliance on traditional fossil fuels.
Janis Kearney, the MBTA's Chief of Energy and Environment, reinforced the strategic angle of this endeavor. "Sustainability is one of the MBTA’s core goals," Kearney explained, signifying how the partnership with STX propels the authority closer to its ambitions. The deal not only turns industrial and agricultural waste to effective use but also carves out an independent revenue channel for MBTA's broader operations. Kearney highlighted that they will match their annual 200,000 MMBtu CNG consumption with RNG sourced from varied facilities including landfills, dairies, and wastewater plants.
The MBTA and STX's five-year contract spells annual revenues of $800,000. The synergy among MBTA's internal teams - Energy and Environment, Procurement, Advertising and Revenue, and Bus Operations - underlines the collaborative approach employed to embed sustainable practices into the MBTA's framework.
